London in talks to stage 2019 World Para-athletics Championships after success of 2017 event

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Hannah Cockroft's three golds contributed to Britain's best performance for 19 years (Source: Getty)

Frank Dalleres

British athletics chiefs have confirmed they are exploring a bid to bring the World Para Athletics Championships back to London in two years’ time, following this summer’s successful staging of the competition.

More than 305,000 tickets were sold for the 2017 championships at the former Olympic Stadium in Stratford, which drew to a close on Sunday evening, making it the best-attended event in world parasport history outside of the Paralympics.

Organisers said a high level of positive feedback from athletes and team officials had prompted them to consider bidding to stage back-to-back World Para-athletics Championships in 2019.

“We are delighted that the World Para-athletics community has responded so positively to our delivery of the 2017 championships, and are humbled if Para-athletics competitors, teams and colleagues would be willing to entrust it to us again in 2019,” said UK Athletics chair Richard Bowker.

“We will begin discussions with partner organisations immediately to see if we can secure the necessary support. So far I can confirm that we have received very positive indications from many of our key stakeholders, so we believe that there is the will to make it happen.”

Great British won 18 golds and 39 medals in total over the 10 days of competition, the team's best result for 19 years, to finish third in the medal table behind China and the United States.

British Paralympic Association chairman Nick Webborn said: “If we were to succeed it would be a tremendous statement to the world and a huge opportunity for our athletes and the British public once again to enjoy world class para-athletics in the best stadium in the world for it.”

This year marks the first time that the competition is being held at the same venue as the World Athletics Championships, which will see world’s fastest man Usain Bolt end his track career and start on 4 August.

The 2019 World Athletics Championships have already been awarded to Doha, the capital of Qatar. Bids for the 2019 World Para-athletics Championships are due in September.